What Are RFCs? The Forgotten Blueprints of the Internet

Summary

Think about it for a second: could the internet exist without standards and protocols? Of course not! Computers need shared rules and agreements to communicate with one another. Even human languages, like English, work much the same way. They function as a kind of communication protocol because we’ve all agreed on words and grammar that carry shared meaning. In both cases, whether among machines or people, communication depends on common understanding.This is where RFCs come in. They’re the blueprints and proposals that define how the internet operates and how systems interact. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at RFCs and uncover some of the fascinating history behind the internet.Before we dive in, here’s a quick overview: RFCs, or Requests for , are official documents that explain how Internet technologies work. They outline how systems are expected to behave and interact. Think of them as the reference guides for anyone who wants to build, understand, or improve the Internet.the Birth of the InternetThe history of the internet is a long and amazing tale — one that deserves its own post (and I’ll probably write about it). But for now, let’s focus on how it all began.I’m not going to answer “Who invented the Internet?” because that’s the wrong question. The internet didn’t appear overnight; it took decades to mature. Instead, we can highlight the people who played key roles in shaping today’s internet.It all started in the USA in 1958, when the government created the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) to fund research in new technologies — partly driven by Cold War tensions. The US government was worried that a nuclear first strike from the Soviets could wipe out their communication. To prevent that, they established computer research centers at leading universities. The goal was to create a reliable, distributed communication system that could continue operating even if parts of it were damaged by a nuclear attack.Computers — or better to say, mainfram...